The role of private 5G networks in building resilience for agriculture

With the UK’s agriculture sector becoming increasingly reliant on digital technology to provide better farm operations, secure and reliable connectivity has never been more important.

From real-time soil monitoring and precision irrigation to autonomous machinery, our farms are evolving into digitally enabled operations to provide us with the high-quality foods that we expect from British farmers.

But with this connectivity comes challenges, such as patchy coverage, high network demands and the need for secure data handling. With the connectivity gap that exists across rural Britain, this can limit the adoption of advanced technologies.

This is where private 5G networks offer a powerful solution, providing dedicated, resilient connectivity that enables farmers to optimise their operations without the constraints of traditional public networks.

Addressing Agriculture's Connectivity Gaps

Rural locations in this country typically suffer from limited access to high-speed, high-bandwidth networks. For farms to fully leverage the advanced digital solutions at their disposal, they require stable, high-quality connectivity that can operate independently. Private 5G networks meet these needs by offering a customisable, secure system tailored to specific demands. Unlike public networks, private 5G allows farms to manage their network with greater flexibility and security without competing with other network users.

A private 5G network offers a dedicated, high-performance solution for farms, enabling data-heavy applications like environmental sensors and advanced robotics without connectivity limits. Its ultra-reliable, low-latency communication supports safe, precise operations essential for modern agriculture.

Enabling Secure and Scalable Digital Operations

As data becomes integral to farming, security is paramount. With IoT devices collecting and transmitting data across all operations, farms generate substantial amounts of valuable data that must be protected. Private 5G networks provide a highly secure environment by enabling businesses to control access points and data flows within their operations. This level of control is essential not only for data integrity but also for safeguarding intellectual property.

In addition, the scalable infrastructure allows farms to easily integrate new devices and applications over time. For example, a farm could begin with basic environmental sensors and later expand to include drones for crop health assessments or automated machinery for harvesting, all under a single, secure network. This scalability is a major advantage, enabling farms to incrementally upgrade their operations without needing to overhaul their connectivity infrastructure each time.

The Growing Sussex 5G Innovation Region: A Model for Agricultural Connectivity

The Growing Sussex 5G Innovation Region in West Sussex exemplifies how private 5G networks can transform agriculture. This innovative project, spearheaded by a partnership between Boldyn Networks (Boldyn) and West Sussex County Council, are pioneering the deployment of high-bandwidth private 5G networks across two grower sites and educational institutions. With £3.8 million in government funding as part of the wider 5G Innovation Regions trials, this initiative provides the essential infrastructure for testing new agricultural technologies, from drones that monitor crop health to automated climate control systems for vertical growers and greenhouses.

Boldyn has played a critical role in designing and building four private 5G networks dedicated to agriculture in the region. By establishing a secure and high-speed network infrastructure, Boldyn is enabling growers in West Sussex to implement data-driven techniques and automated solutions that boost productivity. The project is also creating new job opportunities and specialised qualifications, ensuring that future generations have the digital skills needed to sustain and expand these practices and contributing to wider economic growth.

A Replicable Model for Rural Connectivity

The Growing Sussex 5G Innovation Region offers a blueprint for how other regions and commercial growers can adopt private 5G networks to enhance connectivity in agriculture and beyond. By providing secure, reliable, and scalable connectivity, private networks can empower agriculture to embrace digital solutions that were previously out of reach. This model has potential applications beyond farming: other rural industries could benefit from similar network solutions that offer secure, high-performance connectivity where public infrastructure falls short now.

By enabling more robust and flexible digital operations, private 5G networks position agriculture to meet the demands of the future, ensuring that farms, both large and small, can benefit from the full potential of digital transformation.

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